Knowing how to take a reading of your oil tank is important to your budget, the health of your oil tank, and the overall health of your oil tank.
Most home heating oil tanks do not require specific ordinance by New York State’s Petroleum Bulk Storage regulations as they generally have a capacity of less than 1,100 gallons. However, if you live in Nassau, Suffolk, or Westchester counties, you should contact your county’s Department of Health to determine whether smaller heating oil tanks require any specific regulations.
How Do You Read an Oil Tank?
There are several different types of oil tanks and, therefore, different ways to take readings. The most common measuring tool among the different tanks is the float-style gauge. Looking at the outside of the tank, you should find the easy-to-see plastic vial with a disk inside that shows a rough measurement of how much oil is in the tank. The disk is attached to a hinged arm, and the opposite end is a float resting atop the oil in your tank.
The plastic vial may have numbers to tell you how many gallons of oil remain, but generally has values that indicate Full, ¾, ½, and ¼. These readings are not the most accurate, but a good rule of thumb is to order more oil when the gauge reads ¼ full. This will make sure you are resupplied before you run into any issues.
Some tanks do not have any gauges, but you can physically measure the depth of the oil in tanks with vertical fill pipes by using a measuring stick. It’s recommended you use a stick at least six feet in length to limit the chances of losing the stick in the tank. The wet mark will give you a rough idea of how much oil remains, provided you know the size of your tank.
Do You Read the Top or Bottom of the Float on an Oil Tank?
It’s not uncommon for people to be confused about whether to read the top or bottom of a float gauge. The truth is these gauges are not high-precision tools, so you can just find where the middle of the disk lines up with the nearest tick mark in order to determine the proper level.
How Do I Know How Many Gallons of Oil is in My Heating Oil Tank?
Conveniently, the size is often indicated on the side of the tank, though older models may not. The most common size of a heating oil tank is 275 gallons, and other common sizes are 340 and 420 gallons. An important thing to keep in mind is that while the size of a tank is listed as one thing, the actual amount it can hold is less to allow for space to allow for air at the top of the tank or debris at the bottom.
Call Express C.O.D for All of Your Home Heating Oil Needs
Whether you’re looking for conventional home heating oil or more environmentally friendly BioHeat®, Express C.O.D has you covered. Express C.O.D has been a trusted resource for Long Island homeowners for more than 60 years. For the best prices for COD oil delivery, call Express C.O.D today at (516) 206-3805.
